Gulliver’s Travels Review

Gulliver's Travels, starring Ted Danson and directed by Charles Sturridge, is based on the novel by Jonathan Swift. The movie tells the tale of Lemuel Gulliver, a doctor turned ship's surgeon, who after eight years lost at sea retells his incredible adventures during those eight years. The movie, or rather tv mini-series, had a very good effect of combining the present, that is, once Gulliver was back in England, and when he was lost in unknown continents. Of course, as he tells his stories, his wife, although glad he has returned, is concerned with his mental health. Gulliver's personality is also completely changed and he has a particular loathing for human touch. As we progress through the film we learn what he went through, as well as seeing his current struggle to prove the stories he is retelling.

I really enjoyed this movie, especially the combined past and present style. The special effects were also very good considering the time. At times, I found Gulliver to be a little naive and slightly corruptive of the nations he visited. However, by the end, he realises that humans are far from perfect and that they are corrupted and unpure in every way. The secondary characters, such as his wife, his son, and even another doctor who had been making moves on Gulliver's wife while he was supposedly 'lost at sea', were sometimes a little too predictable. The wife was all too willing to believe the doctor when he said Gulliver was being taken care of, while Gulliver was locked in an insane asylum etc. In this manner, I found the doctor to be completely unlikeable. Even though he is trying to win over Gulliver's wife, he shows absolutely no affection or love towards her. The wife on the other hand was annoying with her simple and believing nature. The son was the best of the three as he believed Gulliver, and expressly loved and wanted his father to come home. As for the fantastic characters, the ones Gulliver met on his travels, some were funny, some were creepy, some were tiny, some were giants, some were greedy, some were crazy, and some were peaceful. Gulliver met some many different kingdoms; the tiny people of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, the ridiculous scientists and mathematicians on the floating rock Laputa, the creepy historian of Glubbdubdrib, the aging immortals of Luggnag, and the wise horses who call themselves the Hyouhnhms. Overall, the story is a very nice one, and it is fit for all ages, although small children may not understand the themes in the story, such as human vices, imperfection, sin and the ridiculousness of so-called 'reason'.